Wisconsin title forms · Buying and selling
Form MV2928: WisDOT's sample bill of sale and seller checklist
Short answer
MV2928 is a free WisDOT handout for private sellers: a checklist for signing over a title, with a sample bill of sale underneath. WisDOT calls the bill of sale optional and prints a warning on it not to send it to the DMV. It is a receipt for your own records. A buyer still needs the signed title, plus a lien release if a loan is listed, to get a title in their name.
TitleFiled is not WisDOT. The official form is free at wisconsindot.gov.
MV2928 at a glance
- Form
- MV2928, Instructions for Selling a Vehicle (with Sample Bill of Sale)
- Version we read
- Revision 4/2016, checked 2026-10-31
- Fee
- None. It is not filed with WisDOT.
- Paid to
- Nobody
- Where it goes
- Nowhere. Seller and buyer each keep a copy.
- What goes with it
- Nothing. The buyer titles the car with the signed title, an MV1 and the fees, not with this form
Who it is for
A private person selling a vehicle titled in their own name. The checklist half tells the seller what to do on the back of the title; the bill of sale half gives both sides a dated record of the price, the VIN and who bought it.
Buyers read it too, and it is worth a minute before you hand over cash. Everything on the checklist is something the seller owes you. If a seller cannot do the first item, the sale is going to be a problem.
When it will not help you
The first line of the instructions is the one people skip: you need a title in your name before you can sell, even a car you never drove. A seller whose title is lost applies for a replacement first. A seller selling a dead relative's car follows the estate rules first.
That is why a filled-in MV2928 is not a path to a title. If a seller gives you a bill of sale and no title, the bill of sale shows you paid; it does not move ownership on WisDOT's records. For a Wisconsin car with a title still out there, the usual answer is getting the seller to sign that title or apply for a replacement. When that is impossible, the bonded title process is the fallback, and a bill of sale is useful evidence there.
What each part of MV2928 asks
In our words, not WisDOT's. Read the form's own instructions before you sign; your answers are yours to give.
- The seller checklist
- Sign and date the title as seller, and the and/or rule for two owners. Fill in the odometer statement, which federal law requires, and the brand disclosure if one applies. Write in the real price, since the Department of Revenue looks into suspiciously low ones. Fill in the buyer's name and address. Pay off any loan and give the buyer the lien release. Take your plates off, except on heavy trucks, farm trucks, mopeds, trailers and mobile homes, where plates stay with the vehicle. File the online seller notification within 30 days of a private sale.
- Vehicle lines
- Year, make, model, body type, purchase price and VIN.
- Dates
- The sale date and the delivery date, which can differ when a buyer pays now and collects later.
- Seller and buyer lines
- Printed names for both sides and a second owner on each side, driver license numbers as proof of identity, and addresses.
- The statement and signatures
- One sentence where the seller says they sold the vehicle for the price shown and that the information is true, then signatures and dates for seller and buyer, joint owners included.
Where people get stuck
- Nothing is sent back, because nothing is sent in. Problems show up later instead, when the buyer applies for a title and the title is missing a signature, an odometer reading or a lien release.
Common questions
Is a bill of sale required in Wisconsin?
Not for an ordinary private sale. WisDOT says the bill of sale is for convenience, and you may write your own with the same details: vehicle, VIN, odometer, both parties' contact details, price, date and signatures.
Does the MV2928 need a notary?
The form has no notary block. It is signed by the seller and the buyer only.
Where do I get it?
Free from WisDOT's forms page as a Word document, in English and Spanish. You do not need to buy a template.
Still working out which forms you need? Browse plain answers to Wisconsin title questions or see every form we explain.
Related forms and answers
What does a Wisconsin vehicle bill of sale need to include?
Not required with a signed title. WisDOT lists what a good one has: make, year, model, VIN, odometer, names, addresses, phones, signatures, price, date.
Read this guide →How do you sign over a car title in Wisconsin?
Seller signs and dates the back of the title, writes mileage (2011 or newer), price and buyer's name, and gives a lien release if a loan is listed.
Read this guide →Can you get a title with just a bill of sale in Wisconsin?
No. A bill of sale alone will not get a regular Wisconsin title. It supports a bonded title application (MV2082), which is how you title the car.
Read this guide →Selling a car without a title
What a Wisconsin buyer will need from you.
Read this guide →No title for your car in Wisconsin
Which path fits: replacement, bonded title, or neither.
Read this guide →Sources, checked 2026-10-31: WisDOT: form MV2928 (4/2016) · WisDOT: sell your vehicle · WisDOT: vehicle forms list. Forms are revised from time to time; use the current version from WisDOT.
TitleFiled is a document-preparation and title-recovery assistance service operated by Nuvent66 LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by any DMV or government agency, including the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). We do not guarantee that any agency will approve or issue a title. Information on this page is provided for general reference, was verified against official WisDOT sources on the date shown, and is not legal advice.